Attend SXSW Parties In VR With Oculus Venues

The annual SXSW 2019 festival has begun in Austin, Texas, celebrating the interactive, film and music industries for the next week. Naturally, virtual reality (VR) technology makes a number of appearances with Oculus taking part, not only displaying projects from its VR for Good initiative but also giving everyone the opportunity to be at the event thanks to Oculus Venues.

Three Oculus VR for Good Creators Lab projects have been chosen as part of SXSW’s Virtual Cinema Program, Girl Icon, Home After War and Mercy.

Girl Icon an immersive look at women’s empowerment in India, following 17-year-old Rani, from Varanasi as she breaks away from the country’s caste system, determined to finish school and go to college.

Home After War is an interactive VR experience which follows Ahmaied Hamad Khalaf and his family as they return to their home in Fallujah after the war ended. Khalaf’s story revolves around how they fear their home, with many buildings still booby-trapped with IED’s.

Lastly, there’s Mercy, the story of 14-year-old Edith. “At the age of seven, Edith started to feel a pain that eventually grew into a tumor on her lower right jaw the size of lemon [sic]. Edith is mocked and teased at school, and even accused of being the victim of witchcraft. In Mercy, we follow Edith as she travels by foot through the jungle for days in order to have a life-transforming surgery,” explains the synopsis.

And for many of you who can’t go to SXSW 2019, Oculus is bringing a little slice of the festival to you, by way of Oculus Venues. The company has partnered with Supersphere and SXSW to bring you 90+ acts over four days, starting on 12th and running through to 15th March.